Rowan Starburst Cushion Homeware Knitting Pattern

Rowan Starburst Cushion by Martin Storey

Project Overview

The Rowan Starburst Cushion is a knitted homeware project designed to fit a 40 cm (16 inch) square cushion pad. Created by designer Martin Storey, this cushion combines striped colorwork with intarsia patterning to create a striking visual design. The project is worked flat on needles and seamed together, making it an accessible yet visually impressive knitting project.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a decorative cushion cover consisting of a front panel and back panel, both knitted separately and then seamed together on three sides. The finished cushion is designed to accommodate a standard 40 cm square cushion pad, which is inserted before the fourth side is closed. The front features a combination of striped stockinette stitch and intarsia colorwork, while the back is worked primarily in stripes.

Techniques Used

• Bottom-up construction: Both the front and back panels are cast on and worked upward from the base to the top edge before casting off.
• Intarsia: The front panel incorporates intarsia colorwork, a technique where different colored yarns are used to create a pattern within the fabric. The intarsia design is worked from a chart and is integrated into the striped background.
• Striped stockinette stitch: The cushion features a repeating stripe sequence worked in stockinette stitch, created by changing yarn colors at regular intervals.
• Seaming: The front and back panels are joined using either back stitch or mattress stitch, with three sides seamed closed before the cushion pad is inserted and the fourth side is closed.
• Worked flat: Both panels are knitted flat on straight needles rather than in the round, allowing for easy pattern work and seaming.

Stitches Used

The Rowan Starburst Cushion is worked primarily in stockinette stitch, which creates a smooth, classic knitted fabric with a flat appearance on the right side. Stockinette stitch is formed by alternating knit rows and purl rows when working flat. The pattern begins with a knit row and maintains stockinette stitch throughout both the striped sections and the intarsia chart sections.

Stripe Sequence

The cushion features a structured stripe pattern that repeats throughout the project:

• Rows 1 to 10: Worked in yarn A (Cream)
• Rows 11 to 20: Worked in yarn B (Terrain)

This 20-row stripe sequence is repeated as specified in the pattern instructions for each panel.

Materials and Yarn

The Rowan Starburst Cushion is designed to be worked in Rowan Softyak DK, a DK weight yarn. The pattern requires three yarn colors:

• Yarn A (Cream, shade 230): 3 x 50gm balls
• Yarn B (Terrain, shade 243): 2 x 50gm balls
• Yarn C (Lea, shade 236): 1 x 50gm ball

Yarn C is used exclusively in the intarsia chart section of the front panel. The total yardage and fiber content information can be found on the Rowan website at knitrowan.com.

Needles and Notions

The pattern is worked on 4mm (US 6) needles, using one pair of straight needles. A 40 cm (16 inch) square cushion pad is required as a notional extra to complete the finished cushion.

Tension

The recommended tension for this project is 22 stitches and 30 rows to 10 cm, measured over stockinette stitch using 4mm (US 6) needles. Achieving the correct tension is important for the cushion to fit the pad properly and for the intarsia pattern to display at the intended scale.

Pattern Construction Details

Front Panel

The front panel begins with casting on 91 stitches using yarn A and 4mm needles. The first 30 rows are worked in the striped stockinette stitch sequence, ending after 10 rows